In radar systems with adaptive or other types of antenna arrays and in many types of signal processing applications there exists a need for a variable electronic delay line. Such delay lines have heretofore been fabricated using for example lengths of coaxial cable and discretely tapped surface acoustic wave devices. These delay lines, however, provide only integral delay steps rather than continuous variability.
In numerous applications there exists a need for a continuously variable delay line which has a relatively wide bandwidth over a substantial time delay period.